by Fronetics | May 25, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media
In this month’s social media news, Facebook cracks down on misleading content, while Snapchat and Pinterest appeal to advertisers.
If you sense that the competition between social media networks for users and advertisers is heating up, you’re not alone. This month, Facebook continues its quest to cut down on the sharing of false information and misleading content while launching better lead-tracking tools for ads. Twitter moves to protect user privacy by updating its terms and conditions. And exciting new technology launches at Google, Pinterest, and Snapchat.
Here’s the latest social media news for the supply chain.
Facebook reduces links to low-quality web pages and misleading ads
After months refining its News Feed algorithm and ads, Facebook announced another update to weed out false information and spam in a blog post: “We reviewed hundreds of thousands of web pages linked from Facebook to identify those that contain little substantive content and have a large number of disruptive, shocking or malicious ads. We then used artificial intelligence to understand whether new web pages shared on Facebook have similar characteristics. So if we determine a post might link to these types of low-quality web pages, it may show up lower in people’s feeds and may not be eligible to be an ad. This way people can see fewer misleading posts and more informative posts.”
As changes roll out gradually in the coming months, publishers with high-quality landing page experiences might notice an increase in traffic, while those with negative experiences will see a decline. Businesses looking to improve their web experiences can read the full Facebook Business post and visit the Help Center for tips.
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Twitter updates opt-out process
Twitter is helping users weed out irrelevant personalized ads and protect their privacy. The Twitter website tag will now “rely on the Digital Advertising Alliance’s consumer choice tool and other ways to opt-out described here.” Site owners must update the privacy policy to notify their users of this new opt-out process.
Google unveils Google Lens
Google’s latest product, Google Lens, will leverage computer vision and AI technology to enable smartphone cameras to not only see, but to understand what it’s seeing to help users. For example, if you take a photo of the login information on the sticker on your router, the lens will identify the action by offering to connect you to the Wi-Fi, using the photo of the network name and password.
Snapchat reaches 166 million daily active users, rolls out limitless snaps, adds ad lenses and geofilters
In its first quarterly earnings report since going public in March, Snap Inc. announced that its daily active user (DAUs) base grew to 166 million in Q1 2017. Additionally, the Snapchat app released four new creative tools:
- Infinity timer setting: This option eliminates the 10-second time limit and allows your videos to play as long as you like. The snap then erases when closed.
- Looping: Users can choose to have their photos or videos loop indefinitely until viewers close the snap.
- Magic eraser: Users can select and remove objects from snaps.
- Emoji drawings: Users can now draw with emojis using the pen tool.
Ad partners also have three new creative tools at their disposal:
- World Lenses are an extension on Snapchat’s Sponsored Lens, which already let advertisers turn users’ selfies into ads. Sponsored World Lenses allow advertisers to create content for the rest of the photo beyond the face, like floating 2-D or 3-D objects.
- Audience Lenses let advertisers buy a guaranteed number of Lens impressions for a specific audience. This includes those that are targeted by demographics like age and gender, as well as those identified as falling in one of Snapchat’s Lifestyle categories.
- Smart Geofilters automatically add location information or other real-time information to a nationwide or chain Geofilter. This ad type allows users to activate branded overlays that appear when they swipe left or right on the camera.
Pinterest applies visual search technology to ads
Pinterest announced that it’s now leveraging the technology behind its newly released visual discovery tools — Shop the Look, Instant Ideas and Lens beta — to make Promoted Pins even more effective. Machine learning allows the platform to identify what is most relevant to a user based on the images s/he pins. For example, if the user pins images of blue, formal, A-line dresses, Pinterest will begin to show similar images in that user’s feed. The same technology will now be applied to ad content. “We help people find your ads in the very same way, connecting people to products they like the looks of, but don’t quite have the vocabulary to describe. As a result, your ads feel more relevant, and they can reach audiences you may not have considered before.”
Not sure how to use Pinterest’s advertising tools? Check out these 4 free webinars for businesses.
Facebook enables targeting to users who have saved posts, adds offline conversion solution for lead ads
Facebook page admins can now see the number of saves for each page post, then “create custom audiences of people who have saved [their] posts and retarget them with different content.”
Additionally, Facebook is now allowing businesses to connect their CRM, point of sale, or even their call-center systems to their Facebook ad campaigns to help advertisers monitor which of their lead ads drive those business results. This is huge for advertisers who have been trying to attribute conversions from lead ads based on offline activity.
Ellen, Ludacris, Katy Perry and more to star on YouTube’s exclusive new shows
YouTube announced plans to launch seven new “star-studded” shows, exclusively premiering on the video platform “beginning later this year.” Stars include Kevin Hart, Rhett and Link, Ellen DeGeneres, Katy Perry, the Slow Mo Guys, Demi Lovato, and Ludacris. The shows will be fully ad-supported and thus free to watch.
Facebook releases “Latest Conversations” feature
Facebook’s new Latest Conversations feature shows timely topics that many members across the network are discussing in its search results. It appears in its own section of the search results and includes a running count of how many people are talking about the topic at the moment. This feature is currently only available on the mobile app.
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by Fronetics | Apr 27, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
In April’s social media news, changes are coming down the pike for Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
April has been an interesting month for social media news. Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram all announced changes to their core products that will affect businesses using these platforms for social engagement and/or advertising.
Make sure you’re following our blog and/or social media pages to get our monthly updates on changes that may affect your social marketing program.
Google may be rolling out ad blocker for Chrome
Although its business model largely depends on advertising, Google is considering putting a stop to ads that are ruining users’ experiences. A potential ad-blocking feature on its Chrome browser would identify unacceptable ads based on standards set by the Coalition for Better Ads in March. Google could roll out this new feature in the next few weeks or choose not to move ahead with it at all — either way, the company is declining to comment.
LinkedIn introduces trending storylines
Storylines are now bringing user interests and the most important stories in their industries to the daily newsfeed. The algorithm includes several perspectives, such as “relevant influencers and news publishers to people in your network.” Each storyline also has a unique hashtag associated with it, so users can join in on the conversation and expand their networks based on common interests.
Facebook is moving closer to virtual reality
At the F8 developer conference, Facebook announced the release of Facebook 360 Capture SDK, a toolkit that makes it easier to capture and share virtual reality video. The ‘Book’s engineers are calling this new process “cube mapping,” which is more efficient and has better image quality than standard 360 video. “We look forward to seeing VR 360 selfies, experiences, e-sports, and more—all in 360,” said Facebook product developers in a mid-April blog post.
Instagram launches offline browsing
Instagram currently downloads images on the fly, querying parent company Facebook’s servers for new content when the app is launched. The updated app, however, will tap a cache instead. It will store any browsed images and will automatically update when internet becomes available. Users will also be able to write comments, like and save photos, and unfollow and follow anytime, as Instagram will queue offline actions to execute when next online.
Facebook Stories expands globally
Facebook Stories are short, user-generated picture and video collections that disappear within 24 hours. Users can add different filters and overlays to content using the in-app camera. A simultaneous messenger update, called Direct, allows users to send photos and videos that disappear after a short time to friends. This popular Snapchat-like format has proven very successful on Instagram, which now boasts more than 150 million Stories users across the globe.
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by Fronetics | Mar 27, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Here are the major headlines happening in social media news, specially curated for the supply chain, as of March 2017.
It’s not easy keeping pace with the latest happenings in the constantly evolving social media landscape — but it’s a must for your business. To help keep you up to date, here’s our monthly rundown of social media news for the supply chain.
Facebook algorithm ranks reactions higher than likes
Facebook announced earlier this month that it has tweaked its algorithm so that reactions “will affect post ranking slightly more than Likes.” The company cited its finding that reactions are an “even stronger signal” of what content users would like to see, but clarified that all reactions will continue to be weighed equally to one another.
YouTube introduces YouTube TV
After last month’s expansion of mobile live streaming and launch of super chat, the video juggernaut has now introduced YouTube TV, “with about 40 networks onboard to stream their live broadcasts and cable feeds to its subscribers.” The company and participating networks are set to sell ad inventory and share revenue, and the service will be based on subscriptions.
Google launches Meet by Google Hangouts
This one could be big for your business’ internal operations. Meet by Google Hangouts is a new video conferencing application designed for HD video meetings, joining Google’s lineup of business products known as G Suite. The product is “aimed at making it easy to access these calls while on the go, including dial-in numbers for those who are traveling, links you can join with just a click, and integration with Gmail and Calendar for G Suite users.”
Facebook globally launches Messenger Day
The company has launched a new way to share photos and videos “as they happen” in the Messenger app. Be sure to check out this Social Media Examiner post on how to use this new feature to market your business.
Twitter introduces analytics for Twitter Moments
The company has announced that analytics for Moments are now available to all Twitter users, allowing publishing partners and brand advertisers to track their content’s performance and gather insights on post interaction.
LinkedIn adds profile photo filters and editing tools for mobile
LinkedIn has introduced “a quick and easy way to enhance” profile photos with editing and filters right in its mobile app. Users can now “crop and edit the brightness, contrast, saturation, and vignette,” as well as choose from filters to enhance their profile photos.
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by Fronetics | Mar 14, 2017 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
Keep these best practices in mind when determining how often to post to social media.
Creating valuable, relevant content in a strategic and consistent manner creates demand for your products and services and drives profitable customer action. But as BuzzFeed’s Jonathan Perelman said, “Content is king, but distribution is queen and she wears the pants.”
It’s not enough to just create interesting and pertinent content; you have to put it out there to reach your target audience. Moreover, the content needs to be delivered consistently over time, at the right time, and in the right place.
With social media networks changing daily, it’s hard to keep up with where to distribute content, much less how often. Countless studies have attempted to solve the social-media-frequency equation. And while audiences vary across industries, best practices give us some general guidelines.
Here’s our assessment of social media posting frequency.
Twitter: 40 per day*
*Big caveat here: 40 tweets per day is what we’ve found works for us and most of our clients. Let me explain.
Socialbakers suggests that posting to Twitter three times per day is the ideal frequency for brands. Buffer posts to Twitter 14 times per day. Fronetics happens to tweet 40 times per day. So last spring, after seeing the Socialbakers and Buffer stats, we conducted a month-long experiment to see how dropping our posting frequency closer to their benchmarks would affect our engagement.
As we’ve written about before, it wasn’t pretty. We confirmed that our engagement, web traffic, lead generation, and other key performance indicators are at optimal levels when we tweet 40 times per day.
Your company, or your marketing partner, should conduct due diligence and determine what the right frequency is for your business. Yes, you may realize a significant decline in engagement in ROI during your experiment. On the other hand, you may realize an increase in engagement and ROI — captured with lower output in terms of time and resources.
Facebook: 1 per day
Most companies find that posting 1 time per day is their sweet spot for most social media networks. Facebook is no exception: The network’s algorithm values quality over quantity, so the more engaged your followers are with your content, the more likely they are to see your posts. This also means that posting content that does not facilitate engagement can actually decrease the likelihood that followers will see your posts.
One sure way to encourage disengagement is by overwhelming your audience. We all have that friend or company we follow that posts too much — don’t be like that person.
Remember that the lifespan of a Facebook post (about 5 hours) is significantly longer than that of a tweet. So you don’t need to provide a constant stream of content to get your audience’s attention. Your focus should be distributing the most relevant, interesting content you can, at a time when most of your audience will be on Facebook.
Instagram: 1-2 per day
There’s an unwritten rule among Instagramers that a user shouldn’t post more than once per day. We generally agree for the same reason we don’t think brands should post more than once a day to Facebook: Don’t overwhelm your audience because the lifespan of your posts is pretty long. In fact, a Union Metrics study found that many Instagram posts continue to receive engagement for days — even weeks — after posting.
Most brands end up posting 11-20 posts per month. If you focus on compelling images with strategic messages, that’s probably a good benchmark to stick with. It’s important to note, however, that another Union Metrics study suggests posting consistency is more important than frequency. Again, taking the time to test the Instagram posting frequency that works best for your business is a worthwhile endeavor.
LinkedIn: 1 per day
A more formal and technical social media network, consider LinkedIn a platform for business-related content. Don’t post here more than once per day — and consider posting only during the workweek. Many professionals don’t check LinkedIn on the weekends, and your content could easily be missed.
Buffer reports that posting 20 times per month (once a workday) allows companies to reach 60% of their audience. To provide the most value for your LinkedIn followers, content should be less promotional and more heavily focused on industry-wide trends and insights.
At the end of the day, optimal posting frequency for your company rests heavily on the audience you want to reach. Experimenting with different social media networks and posting frequencies will give you greater insight into your ideal distribution approach. With these best practices as a guide, let your own analysis be your guide. Maintaining a dynamic and fluid posting strategy will ensure that your social efforts drive followers to action, rather than drive them away.
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by Fronetics | Feb 23, 2017 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Here’s what supply chain and logistics marketers need to know about recent social media news as of February 2017.
Staying on top of what’s happening in the ever-changing social media world is crucial, but can be a challenge. To keep you informed of some key developments, here’s our February 2017 edition of social media news for the supply chain.
Facebook shares Q4 and full-year 2016 earnings and community updates
Facebook announced that it now has nearly 1.9 billion users, including 1.2 billion people active every day. More than 65 million small businesses use Facebook as a marketing tool. Zuckerberg emphasized to investors that the company is committed to “putting video first across [its] family of apps and making it easier for people to capture and share video in new ways.”
LinkedIn adds option to disable comments on long-form articles
The site now allows publishers to manage comments on individual long-form articles “at any time.” LinkedIn plans to add the option to turn off comments on all posts “soon.” Publishers can now also report, flag, or hide abusive or offensive comments. Read more
Facebook algorithm updates geared to show more authentic and timely stories
Updates rolled out this month are intended to prioritize “more authentic and timely” content in the new feed. Posts and topics that are already getting “a lot of engagement” or “might be temporarily important to you” are getting a boost. Read more
Facebook extends lead ads to Instagram
Marketers can now run lead ads across both Facebook and Instagram placements. The company recommends that advertisers verify that the creative complies with Instagram’s design requirements for lead ads.
YouTube expands mobile live streaming and launches Super Chat
For creators with more than 10,000 subscribers, mobile live streaming is here, and other creators will have it “soon,” according to the company. YouTube also released Super Chat, “a new live stream monetization tool that lets any fan watching a live stream stand out from the crowd and get a creator’s attention by purchasing chat messages that are highlighted in bright colors and stay pinned to the top of the chat window for up to five hours.” Read more
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